ISANGYUN Competition winner Han Jae-min "I love cello and music so much"

▲This photo, provided by TIMF, shows Han Jae-min. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

▲This photo, provided by KD Schmidt, shows Han Jae-min. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

▲This photo, provided by TIMF, shows Han Jae-min. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Nov. 10 (Yonhap) -- "I love cello and music so much"

Cellist Han Jae-min (16·Korean National University of Arts) has been known as a prodigy from childhood. Born in 2006, Han was already standing out among his peers at age of eight, collaborating with Wonju philharmonic Orchestra. He won the George Enescu International competition in Romania last year as the youngest winner, followed by placing third at Geneva Competition in Switzerland.

He once again surprised classical music world when he won Isangyun compeition, a competition named after world-famous composer Isangyun from Tongyeong, on Nov. 5

Han, who met at one cafe in Seoul Arts Center, talked about his thoughts on music in a prudent manner leaving his cello case on the side of a cafe.

"Music of Isang Yun is very Korean, yet oriental and western musics are combined. I have to play with guitar pick to make the sound of geomungo, and there are also haegeum and ajaeng sounds. Because he implements everyday life sounds into music, it seems like very "effective" music even accoustically."

Han played Isang Yun's cello concerto(1976) at the final of Isang Yun's competition (3rd play). He is the first to win the competition by playing Yun's piece at the final, and it is the first time in 20 years Yun's concerto was played at the final.

"I have been challenging competition since 2020, and my past two years flashed before my eyes when I won this time. While I was happy, I felt a lot of emotions."

Han Jae-min is from a musical familiy where both of his parents majored in flutes. His sister plays viola.

Han, who naturally learned piano and violin since young age under parents who majored in instrumental music, did not find two instruments particulary interesting but fell in love with cello when he visted a music academy his mother's friend runs.

"She handed me a cello to play around, and I guess its huge size and cool soundappealed to my little heart. Since then, I am deep nto cello. (laugh)"

Cellist recently signed with world-scale classical music management company "KD Schmidt," also known as pianist Cho Seong-jin's agency, and widened the doors to world stages.

Becoming a third year student at Korean National Unviersty of Arts in which he enrolled early, he commutes to school from home in Wonju.

He said he is open to studying abroad.

"I don't know when, but I want to study abroad. I want to study at the home of classical music, Europe. Most likely Germany."

He recently began studying German and made a face saying it isn't easy.

Han's friendship withpianist Lim Yunchan, who goes to same school as Han, is veru well known in music world. They have been friends since they were both admitted at Korean National Unviersity in 2017. Lim was also the youngest to win at Isang Yun's competition in 2019, 15 years-old at the time.

"I am really close with Lim. He is currently outside the country, but we still keep in touch often. We talk alot when we have concerts. I hope I have an opportunity to play deut with him soon."

Han plans to take a break for a month and then go to Germany for a single recording project with world-famous classical music label DG next month. He also has collaborative performance schedule in Auckland, New Zealand next April.

Lee, who likes to watch or play soccer other than music and enjoys reading mystery stories, showed his side as a teenage boy when talking about his habits.

"I like mystery or detective stories. I like Sherlock Holmes series, but I really enjoy 'Ragdoll Killer' (Daniel Cole)."

All the while, he emphasized to be a sincere musician.

"It's something I always talk bout and something it never changes. I want to be a musian who makes people think 'he plays music with his heart' rather than 'he has good technique' when they watch me perform. I want to be remembered as a musician who likes music innocently."

(This article is translated from Korean to English by Jiwon Woo.)

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